She was the second of three Canadian Pacific ships named Empress of Britain,[1] which provided scheduled trans-Atlantic passenger service from spring to autumn between Canada and Europe from 1931 until 1939.

She was spotted by a German Focke-Wulf C 200 Condor long-range bomber, commanded by Oberleutnant Bernhard Jope, who hit her twice with 250 kg (550 lb) bombs, before the ship was torpedoed on 28 October 1940 by U-32 and sank.

[2] Work began on Empress of Britain on 28 November 1928 when the plates of her keel were laid at John Brown & Co, Clydebank, Scotland.

[8] As the ship would sail a more northerly trans-Atlantic route where there was sometimes ice in the waters off Newfoundland, Empress of Britain was ordered with outer steel plating double the thickness at the stem and for 150 ft (46 m) back at either side, up to the waterline.

Canadian Pacific posters proclaimed the ship the "Five Day Atlantic Giantess", "Canada's Challenger" and "The World's Wondership".

“Canadian enterprise has issued a new challenge in the world of shipping by the completion and sailing of the Empress of Britain from England for Quebec.

Despite the current depression, Canada has a new ship which will reach far for traffic during the St. Lawrence season, and when winter comes will go on world cruises, carrying passengers who will ask and receive almost the last word in comfort and luxury in ocean travel.

On 3 December 1931, she sailed on a 128-day round-the-world cruise,[21] to the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Holy Land, through the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea, then to India, Ceylon, Southeast Asia and the Dutch East Indies, on to China, Hong Kong and Japan, then across the Pacific to Hawaii and California before traversing the Panama Canal back to New York.

[22] The ship then made a one-way Atlantic crossing from New York to Southampton, where she entered dry dock for maintenance and reinstallation of her outer propellers.

[4] Her captain from 1934 to 1937 was Ronald Niel Stuart, VC, a First World War veteran entitled to fly the Blue Ensign.

This gave an extra day and a half of smooth sailing in the shorter, sheltered St Lawrence River transatlantic route, which Canadian Pacific advertised as "39 per cent less ocean".

In June 1939 Empress of Britain sailed from Halifax to Conception Bay, St. John's, Newfoundland and then eastbound to Southampton with her smallest passenger list.

40 passengers were on board: King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and 13 ladies and lords in waiting, 22 household staff, plus a photographer and two reporters.

Filled beyond capacity, and with temporary berths in the squash court and other spaces, Empress of Britain zig-zagged across the Atlantic, arriving in Quebec on 8 September 1939.

[26] In August 1940 Empress of Britain transported troops to Suez via Cape Town, returning with 224 military personnel and civilians, plus a crew of 419.

[27] At around 9:20 am on 26 October 1940, travelling about 70 miles northwest of Ireland along the west coast, Empress of Britain was spotted by a German Focke-Wulf Fw 200C Condor long-range bomber, commanded by Oberleutnant Bernhard Jope.

Realising the significance, a reconnaissance plane went to verify; and the German news agency reported that Empress of Britain had been sunk: Despite the ferocity of Jope's attack and the fires, there were few casualties.

The fire left the ship unable to move under her own power, but she was not sinking and the hull appeared intact despite a slight list.

Escorted by Broke and HMS Sardonyx, and with cover from Short Sunderland flying boats during daylight, the salvage convoy made for land at 4 kn (7.4 km/h).

The tugs slipped the tow lines and at 2:05 am on 28 October, Empress of Britain sank northwest of Bloody Foreland, County Donegal, Ireland at 55°16′N 09°50′W / 55.267°N 9.833°W / 55.267; -9.833.

Using saturation diving, they found that the fire had destroyed most of the decks, leaving a largely empty shell rising from the sea floor.

[32] Canadian author Bryn Turnbull's The Woman Before Wallis (2020) includes several scenes set aboard Empress of Britain.